Sleep Paralysis
by CRAZEDbySUGAR
Summary: Its surprising how getting a good night's sleep can turn into a nightmare.


Sleep, an experience Danny hardly had time for anymore with school to keep up with and ghosts constantly wreaking havoc on town, sleep became a luxury. When he did sleep, he wouldn't dream. If he did, he didn't remember them. It didn't matter to him, as long as he got sleep, he didn't care. Being in ghost mode did help take the edge off the fatigue, but he had to be careful for if he used up too much energy he didn't have, his human half paid for it.

Standing in front of the mirror, Danny stared at his weary eyes and poked at the purple bruising outlining his lower lids. The past couple weeks had been brutal on him. Not only did he barely pass an exam, but ghosts were not letting him catch a break. Technus fried his computer (again) and screwed up the town's technology so much it took a week before any electronics returned to their normal function. Skulker was once again going grocery shopping for Vlad. Danny stopped a couple of the robberies only to turn around and take the blame. The Box Ghost was up to his usual antics and discovered the static wonders of packing peanuts. Every so often Danny would find the Styrofoam clinging to him in the weirdest places. He made the mental note to never phase through them again.

Tonight was one of those rare nights where even the ghost animals weren't out wandering for a midnight snack. His homework, which if not attended to, would pile up and add to his worries, once again, a rare night where late assignments weren't breathing down his neck. He wasn't sure how exactly he got it all done, but he wasn't going to complain. His bed was calling to him and his body was yearning for the sweet sensation of relaxation sleep brought.

Sliding into bed, Danny pulled the sheets to his armpits. Sighing in relief, he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

0o0o0o0o0o0

Danny leaned against a brick wall, trying to catch his breath. He checked his shoulder, which had been hit with a ghost ray and at the current moment stung like hell. He winced as his fingers lightly touched the area. Definitely a burn, he determined.

"_Where are you_?" Danny's eyes widened in horror as he heard the voice calling for him. His eyes darted around looking for something-anything, really- to hide behind. Spotting a few cardboard boxes next to some trashcans, Danny dove behind them just as the one he was hiding from stepped into the alleyway. "_Danny_," the voice called, "_you cannot hide from me forever_."

Danny covered his ears in an attempt to block out the voice. He pressed his back against the wall and pulled his legs to his chest. "Go away," Danny repeated over and over again in his head, not daring to whisper in fear of being heard. He closed his eyes, willing for his powers to come out of hibernation. _Why aren't they working!?Why can't I go ghost!?_ He tried to pull his legs in more, but as he was doing so, his foot slipped and kicked the trash can he was hiding behind. He mentally slapped himself. He just blew his own cover.

"_There you are_." Danny cringed as the owner of the voice knocked away Danny's hiding spot. "_Didn't I tell you? You can't hide from me._"

Danny's eyes widened in horror, he had been prepared to face his evil older self. He _was _attacked and chased by his future self. It wasn't the first time it had happened. He defeated him before and he could do it again, however, the one floating before him wasn't _him_. His ghost half grinned, "_Scared?_" he asked before grabbing Danny by his shirt collar, pulling him up to look at him face to face.

Danny was at a loss for words. _No way was this happening. This can't be happening. This can't be happening._

"_You've been in control for too long._" Phantom growled, wrapping his hands around Danny's neck.

_No…please…_

0o0o0o0o0o0

Danny's eyes shot open. He attempted to sit up in bed to shake off the nightmare he experienced, but he couldn't. His mind became overwhelmed with feelings of horror and dread. _This isn't happening, this isn't happening…move, come on move!_ He screamed in his head. Even his voice wasn't working as he tried to open his mouth. Nothing would move, no matter how hard he willed. His entire body felt like a dead weight. His eyes scanned the room, trying to find something, _anything_ that could help.

The lingering feeling of hands wrapped around his neck, pressing down and squeezing, his breath being strangled out of him. Pressure on his chest increased. It was getting harder to breathe. It felt like something was sitting on his chest. His eyes shifted from the shadows clawing their way out of bed room wall to his chest. A fuzzed shadow in the shape of what he thought was a human sat on him. He couldn't make out any details on who or what it could possibly be. But deep in his gut, he could tell it was smiling at him. Staring him down, grinning at his misery.

Thoughts swarmed his mind. If he hadn't woken from the nightmare he just had, he'd suspect this to be Spectra's work or maybe even Nocturne's, but the nightmare's grip on him still lingered. _Phantom_, his ghost half, he was the one in control. "_What's wrong?_" Danny heard this whisper cut through the other soft voices taunting him. "_You thought you could escape me didn't you?_" the voice, Phantom's voice, _his_ voice, chuckled. "_You know you can't. I'll always be here. You can't get rid of me._"

Danny _wanted_ to make a snarky comeback. If only he wasn't scared out of his wits or could actually use his voice to speak. He could feel tears forming in his eyes. _Let me go_. He screamed in his head. Phantom mocked him, repeating his thoughts, using _his_ voice. They were the same being, yet…different. Danny was quite, hid on the sidelines and kept to himself. Ever since the incident with Walker taking over the town, Phantom was always in the limelight. Good or bad, and he refused to let any ghost take the city away from him. Refused to back down from a fight even with the odds were against him. Danny ran…he hid, just so he could stay scathed free.

Danny closed his eyes, attempting to shake Phantom away. He couldn't run from this fight. This had to end, somehow… "_Cute. Just because you can think of moving, doesn't mean your body will respond._" Phantom said, putting what felt like more pressure on Danny's neck. Danny squeezed his eyes lids. It seemed like it was the only thing besides his lungs that he could move.

_Focus_.

"_You're no longer calling the shots Danny._"

Danny ignored the shadow and its words to the best that he could. _Anything, anything at all._

"_I am. And you know what?_"

His mind went to his left foot. All his energy focused on the limb. _Move._

"_There is nothing you can do about it."_

_Move, darn it MOVE!_

In one swift motion, his foot twitched to life. He felt the weight and the pressure that had been binding him be lifted at all at once. He was free. The spell was broken…or whatever the hell he just experienced was over.

Danny slowly opened his eyes in fear that the images he had been seeing for who knows how long, would still be there. Slowly sitting up and allowing the sheets to slowly slide off his chest, Danny scanned the room. His desk, the rockets, posters…everything seemed to be in order. He rubbed his throat, thankful to finally be able to move again and not hear those voices anymore. He sighed, surprised none of his family members were awoken by this fiasco. He'd have to run it by Jazz in the morning, see if she knew anything about what he experienced.

Speaking of mornings. He turned towards the glowing digital alarm clock residing on his bedside table. _4a.m._ He rubbed his neck a little more, internally debating on whether or not it would be wise to fall back asleep. He didn't want to go through that again, no way no how. He took a deep breath, attempting to calm the panic he endured for the past 10 minutes? It was hard to tell how much time had passed during the time when he woke up to the point where he could move again.

Deciding that staying awake until the sun rose would be his current best option; Danny kicked off his bed sheets and jumped out of bed. The thought of flying around the city to clear his overly stressed mind was a no-go. Not until he figured out what was going on. Walking over to his mirror, he felt the need to look at his neck. He wanted to see if there were any red marks…_hand prints_.

Danny's eyes had already adjusted to the dark. He didn't _need_ to turn on a light. He fought in the dark at later times. The waxing moon gave off enough light through his window after all. Taking another deep breath, he checked himself over in the mirror. No red marks on his neck which was a good sign. Pulling up his nightshirt, he winced at the bruise he acquired a couple days ago on his chest. It didn't hurt unless it was touched.

Danny frowned slightly. But that didn't make sense… He felt pressure on his chest and neck just moments ago. There should've been marks around his neck and his chest would've hurt a lot more than just feeling a little weight.

"_Surprised?_"

Danny jumped, turning around to where he thought the voice originated from, but…no one was there. He swallowed and started the short trek over to Jazz's room. He couldn't wait any longer. There was no way he was going to stay terrified in his room for the rest of the night. He held onto Jazz's doorknob, ready to go inside and wake his sister up. But the words from his nightmare lingered in his head, holding him back, replaying over and over again.

_You can't hide from me_.


End file.
